Convicted Rapist Caught After 10 Months On The Run

By KKTV&nbsp|&nbsp

Posted: Fri 6:47 AM, May 17, 2013

A convicted rapist is behind bars after almost a year on the run.

Authorities in Kentucky say John Buckley IV fled just minutes before a jury convicted him of raping his girlfriend last July. After slipping out of the courthouse, he removed his court-ordered electronic monitoring device and left it at home. His car was later found in a Walgreens parking lot.

While on the run, authorities worried that Buckley's training as an Army Ranger made him a particularly dangerous fugitive. Sister station WKYT in Kentucky said that his girlfriend was forced to go into hiding after his escape.

"The detectives now don't even want me to go back to my house," Jessica Merritt told WKYT at the time. "I can't even go home, because they're scared that he will try to kill me."

U.S. Marshals say that during his 10 months on the run, Buckley spent time in several states, including Colorado where he has family. Marshals say he had help hiding from the law.

Authorities finally caught up to Buckley two days ago in Laramie, Wyo. He was in court Thursday to start the process of returning to Kentucky to face charges.

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